Hoping for a Better Day (The Ninja Way)
by MorllyberNo.1
Summary: Hope's best friends and sister were all taken from her in two days. Just two days. That's all it takes for her life to fall apart.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Man, I love writing these books, don't I? Haha, meh! ^-^**

**So, another book in The Ninja Way series. Yay! Sadly me no owny Naruto, all things related belong to the ONE and ONLY Misashi Kishimoto. The best birthday present EVER would be to get a Naruto poster signed by him! THAT IS MY LIFELONG DREAM!**

**Anyways, enjoy! And, if you have the guts, review please! Peace out!**

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><p>I refuse to believe it.<p>

My name is Hope.

It just can't be true.

I am 25 years old.

There is no way that happened.

I am a medical ninja.

It was a bad dream.

According to my medical ninjutsu master, I'm one of the best.

I'm going to wake up any time now and realise it was a bad dream.

And yet...

No. No, please no...

Why couldn't I save them?

Hikaru. Haruka.

My best friends.

Faith...

**o0o0o**

"No!" I scream, bolting upright in bed. My hands go to my hair and I pull at it, and I realise I'm sweating. My eyes are wide, and I'm trying to make the horrible nightmare go away. But it just won't.

Tears begin to fall down my face in a steady stream. My bedroom door slams open and my mother rushes in. She sits on the bed next to me and I fall into her open arms, sobbing. She's crying too, but she strokes my hair and kisses the top of my head.

"Shh, honey." She whispers, still stroking my hair. "Calm down. Everything's going to be okay. I promise."

But I know that those are just empty words. Everything's not going to be okay, and I know it.

I'm not going to be okay. And I never will be.

**o0o0o**

When I wake up again the next morning, I'm laying down again in my bed. I can hear birds chirping outside my window, but I don't move. I just lie there, staring at the ceiling. I notice that a sliver of sunlight is coming through a crack in my curtains. I turn my head sideways to see a picture frame on my bedside table next to a glass of water. I ignore the water and slowly reach out and close my hand over the frame. I struggle to sit up in bed, my back leaning against the pillows. I hold the picture out in front of me and study it.

In the picture is four people. On the left is Hikaru, a cheeky boy with black hair, brown eyes and a goofy expression, wearing typical ninja getup. Next to him Haruka, a kind boy with pale blue hair and matching eyes, also clad in ninja getup, winking at the camera. Beside him is me, with waist-long platinum-blonde hair and sea-blue eyes, wearing a lilac top that exposed my stomach and sleeves that stopped just before my elbows, and blue jean shorts, giving a big smile. And then there's Faith, my sister, with white-blonde hair done up in a messy bun and eyes the lightest brown, with an open black leather jacket that exposed a blood-red singlet, wearing leather pants. She was giving a small, rare smile.

My eyes settle on Faith's face and her beautiful smile and the tears start again. I hug the photo to my chest and bring my knees up to my chest, like I'm protecting the picture from harm.

But I'm the one who has always needed protection. I'm a medical ninja, and that's all I am. I'm always in the middle of the group, being shielded from danger. I know that I'm the only one that could heal them, but I was a burden. Just another thing that needs protecting.

And if it weren't for me, Hikaru and Haruka and Faith would still be alive.


	2. Chapter 2

There is a gentle knock on the door and my mother walks in. She is wearing a light blue nightgown with her hair in a loose plait that's falling over her left shoulder. It's the same colour as mine. In her hand is a steaming mug of what smells like cocoa. I put the picture back on the table and wipe my eyes. I pull off the bedcovers and sit up on the edge of the bed with my legs dangling over the side. Mother hands me a light blue jumper, which I pull on over my white shirt.

Mother kneels on the ground in front of me and holds out the mug, which I take with shaking hands. I raise it to my lips and take a sip. Hot, melted chocolate fills my mouth and I swallow gratefully. That's when my hands give an involuntary jerk and the mug slips out of my hands. The liquid spills over my blue-and-red spotted pants and breaks on the floor with an ear-splitting _crash._

Mother runs her hands over my legs where the drink spilled and I wince from the pain. I try to say "I'm sorry," but the words just won't form. Mother takes my shaking hands in hers and holds them tight.

"It's okay, honey," she whispers. "It'll be okay."

I want to believe her words. But, somewhere deep in my heart, I know it won't be.

Mother kisses my hands and collects the pieces of broken glass. Once she's gone to put them in the bin, I try to stand up. At first my legs are trembling so badly I need to put my hand on the table for support. After a minute I straighten up and take the few steps to my clothes drawers. On top of the chest is my favourite lilac top and blue jean shorts, the ones I was wearing in the picture. I slowly pick them up along with a change of underwear and take small, shaky steps to the bathroom across the hall.

After I've had a shower I head out the back door silently and into the lush green forest that is my home. I don't stop, ignoring the sharp twigs that I stand on and the sharp pain that sears through my bare feet. I just keep walking.

Soon I reach my clan's graveyard. It's where all the members of my nameless clan go to sleep for eternity. I keep walking, passing familiar names. Right up the back is where I stop. I look at three gravestones with names freshly carved:

_In memory of Hikaru, a ninjutsu-marked._

My teammate and best friend.

_In memory of Haruka, a genjutsu-marked._

Another teammate, another best friend.

_In memory of Faith, a taijutsu-marked._

My last teammate… and older sister.

That's the time when I really break down. I fall to my knees and wrap my arms around my chest, crying and sobbing. The funeral for the three was yesterday, and they died seven days ago. So very nearly did I die along with them. If Faith had not told me to hide… then I would be with them in the afterlife.

I hear footsteps crunching the grass behind me, running. But I don't care. I ignore them completely, I just keep sobbing in front of Faith's empty grave. All three had been deemed K.I.A, but only two bodies had returned. Faith's body had been taken by the enemy.

The footsteps slow down and come to a halt. "Hope?" A shaky voice asks. I stop crying and turn my head to look back at the speaker. But I don't see his face before they takes the last two steps towards me and fall to their knees next to me. The next thing I know, I'm wrapped in a man's strong arms. "Hope." The voice says again sadly. Iruka Umino's voice. I lean against his chest and sob harder than before. Iruka strokes my hair and whispers in my ear: "I am so sorry. I – I miss them too. Hope."

But nothing he says consoles me. Noting he does stops of even slows my grief. I have just lost everything. My friends, my teammates, my sister.

I will never see their beautiful faces again. Ever.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't speak. I can't move. I can't do anything; my body just shuts down. Iruka kisses the top of my head and picks me up, one arm supporting my back and the other under my knees. He walks away from their graves and out of the graveyard. He takes about five steps before darkness covers my vision, and I fall asleep in his arms.

**o0o0o**

When I wake up, I'm in my bed again. I open my eyes to see Iruka watching me worriedly. He smiles when I look at him, but that kind, warm smile is something I just can't return. His smile fades and he squeezes my hand. I still can't move, and I don't know why. I just... can't.

The door handle turns and opens slightly. My mother's face comes into view, and when she see I'm awake, she opens the door fully and walks in. Her eyes are red, like she's been crying.

She sits on the bed beside me and puts her hand on my forehead. Her hand is cool, and kind. Chakra flows into me, and I remember that she is medical ninjutsu-marked, like me. My father was a genjutsu-marked.

Faith was taijutsu-marked, the best taijutsu wielder our clan had seen in over a century. But that's all history now.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," I manage to say.

Iruka shakes his head. "I understand," he replies. "Take as much time as you need to recover."

"It will take time," my mother adds. "It took me a long time after..." she trails off and looks down. But I know what she's talking about. My father's death. But she soon looks up again. "But our clan needs you on the field," she says, her voice full of strength. "You're a highly skilled medical ninja, and soon you'll be assigned to a new squad. We can't complete missions without you, Hope."

"I..." I want to say 'I know,' but the words don't form. "I can't," I say instead. "I- I can't go back to being a ninja. Not after not being able to save Hikaru and Haruka, and seeing Faith being dragged away, not being able to do anything. I should have gone after her, I should have been able to save them!" My voice rises and I draw my knees up to my chest and clutch my hair in frustration. "I'm not a ninja if I can't save my friends..." I mumble.

Mother mutters something in Iruka's ear and leaves. Iruka strokes my hair. I realise that I'm breathing quickly and sweat is pouring off my forehead. I try to slow my breathing down and slowly uncurl my fingers. Iruka helps, bringing them out of my hair. Mother returns, bearing a needle filled with an opaque liquid. I stare at it as she walks over. "This will help you sleep," she says, and I nod. She takes my arm and pushes the needle in. She pushes the plunger down, injecting the liquid. When it's gone she puts a band-aid on my arm and almost immediately I feel drowsy. Iruka lays me down flat and kisses my forehead. The last thing I see are his eyes before I fall into unconsciousness.

**o0o0o**

_The next few months go by so quickly. I never go out on the field or on missions. If I do anything at all related it's working at the clan's hospital occasionally. Before I know it, I've reached my twenty-seventh birthday. But that doesn't cheer me up at all. All it does is remind me of all the good times Faith and I had on our birthdays. The one day off we had from training. The one day we spent together with our parents, as a family._

_And I swear I can see Faith every day in the streets of Konohagakure._

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><p><strong>AN: Well! Turns out I can write a chapter when I'm sick! Who knew...**

**So, I'm gonna stop writing this for now cause I ****_really_**** need to catch up with some of my other books. Have Faith and Forest's Heart. BUT! Once I do catch up on them, this story will get incredibly interesting...**

**I am planning on making this as fluffy as possible for you soon. I mean, come on! IruHope! Squee! XD**

**Hope you guys are enjoying it! Peace out!**


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